Athea
Churches

There was also a thatched church in Athea village from 1750 until 1832
when the present church was opened for worship. A plaque was erected at
the lane way to the site to signify the area. There is a record from the
returns of a W. Blood, who was a Hearth-money collector for 1784 in Rathronan,
that there was a Mass House in Athea. It is quite possible that he was
referring to the thatched church.

According to Westropp, there was a chapel in Rathronan in 1291 called
the Chapel of Maurice, which was part of a dispute between the dioceses
of Lismore and Cashel in 1260. The modern Church of Ireland church was
built on the site in 1827.

There was also a church at Mount Temple in 1645, the present
day townland of Templeathea. The church may have been called "de
Monte Maledictionis" and was locally called the "church of the
mountain". A graveyard adjoins the church ruin. Locals often refer
to it as Templeathea church ruin.